What senior US official is arriving in China?
China and the US just agreed to a fresh set of trade war negotiations — but the government shutdown threatens to derail any progress
-The US and China have agreed to go ahead with a further set of trade negotiations at the end of January, the Wall Street Journal reports.
-Fresh talks follow a productive but ultimately fruitless set of negotiations in Beijing this week.
-The talks, however, could be delayed by the ongoing shutdown of the US government, officials with knowledge of the discussions warned.
-On Saturday, the shutdown will become the longest in US history.
The US and China have agreed to go ahead with a further set of trade negotiations at the end of January, with more senior officials from both sides set to participate in the talks, to be held in Washington DC, the Wall Street Journal reported Friday.
A Chinese delegation sent from Beijing will be led by Liu He, China's vice premier, its most senior trade official, and one of President Xi Jinping's closest allies. The US delegation will be headed by Robert Lighthizer, the US trade representative, and Steven Mnuchin, the Treasury Secretary.
According to the Journal, talks are set take place on January 30 and 31, but could ultimately be derailed by the ongoing shutdown of the US government over funding for President Trump's hugely controversial wall on the southern border with Mexico.
The shutdown is now over 20 days old, and if a compromise is not reached on Friday, it will on Saturday become the longest in US history.
https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-china-trade-war-government-shutdown-threatens-negotiations-2019-1
Jeffrey Gerrish